Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-01-21
Judge POInRd's story of "a Fight with u
CnInmOumt.


Hon. Luke T.. Poland Of Watervie, al
though - years old is yet hale and hearty,
and can relate an anecdote in as good style
as ever. The following related by himself
was a youthful experience of his and is
worthy of perusal when | was "a boy, "
said the Judge the other morning uS he
blew II long and portentous blast on an
enormous bandana, which he tished out from
under the blue swallow tails, when / was
a boy the woods in Vermont were mighty
thick, and the settlers were few. At that
time the woods were full of CataInuunts or
luup- ceryier, 'loo-sevee, the hunters called
them, and the farmers had great to do to
keep the fierce beasts from carrying off
their sheep and killing their cattle A loup-
cervier is pretty nearly as big a mastiff,
as fierce as a tiger, and as strong as lion,
and is altogether about as uncomfortable a
creature 10 deal with AS ever lived. My
father had with him on his farm then man
named Jonas Shepherd, fellow of prUdig
ious strength and such great courage that
| do not believe he ever knew the sensa-
ton of fear, My father had not lost much
10y the loup-cerviers, because he had kept
his stock securely enclosed in strong shed
which none of the pruwlng beasts had yet
succeeded in breaking into. The house
stood on the edge of clearing, and back
of it for miles and miles there was nothing
! but the mountains and woods. One night
| the family had all gone to bed except Shep-
herd, who sat up by the big pine fire she'll
ing corn with jack knife stuck in a log of
/ wood All of u sudden he heard a crash
/ from the cattle shed, and "A big noise among
/ the cattle. He dashed out in his shirt
/ sleeyes aud found that an enormous loup-
] cervicr, the biggest of his kind ever seen
in the country had broken in the roof of
/ the shed, and was in among the sheep.
"As soon as il heard Shepherd approach
ing, it jumped TO the roof, the shed, and,
crouching for moment, sprang through
the air for the intruder Shepherd jumped
aside and the big cat landed harm
lessly on the ground. In an instant it was
up again and furious battle between the
man and the savage brute began. Shep
herd had knife, and for "A while he tried
to make it reach vital spot, while the
loo screamed and bit, and tore its tire
mendous claws through the mans flesh
The noise of the fight awakened the rest OF
the family, and father, grabbing up IA pine
torch was Just in time to see a curious spec
tacle. Shepherd, without a stitch of cloth
ing hllt anu NoNNA iiDAAA hSeNa W i'th
blood, was holding the screaming, stTug
Cling loo by the throat and heels higl
above his head, and running as fast as he
could towards the woods. We all DASHED
after him, and were just in time TO see th'
end of the contest. Shepherd ran into tn,
brook until he was in 10 his waist, and theI
plunged the ferocious beast in out of sight
There was tremendous struggle for a few
minutes. during which Shepherds bloc,
dyed the brook red, and then everything
was still. Then Shepherd came out, drag
cling the drowned body Of the loo afte
him. We got him TO bed as soon as w
could, and did everything possible to relieV
him, but il was more than three months he
fore he was able 10 stir and he never quit
recovered. My father said he counte
more than 200 distinct wounds on his body
Old hunters said that if he had not ha
sense enough To drown the brute, he wuul
have been killed sure The fight took plac
where one of the finest houses of worshl
in New ENGLAND stands today